


Once, Twice

by nerdypipsqueak



Series: 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge [10]
Category: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Mint - T. E. Lawrence
Genre: Drabble, Gen, RAF - Freeform, Smoking, T. E. Lawrence under an assumed name, T. E. Shaw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21738274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdypipsqueak/pseuds/nerdypipsqueak
Summary: Just two friends having a smoke on Christmas day.Written for the 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge. Prompt: once a year.
Relationships: T. E. Lawrence & Arthur Russell
Series: 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559377
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8
Collections: 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge





	Once, Twice

When Arthur waves his lighter at him Shaw just nods. In near perfect unison the two men rise, put on their greatcoats and head outside. Silently, they sit on the steps leading back into the hut and Arthur fishes out the packet of cigarettes his mother had sent him for Christmas. "Share it with your friend", she'd said in her letter, so he does and Shaw nods his thanks as he plucks one out of the packet.

The lighter is on its last legs but in the end they manage to ignite both their cigarettes. Shaw coughs on the first drag but quickly takes another one, holding the smoke in, then slowly releasing it. It pours out of his mouth, flowing and swirling around him before dissipating into the cold air. He looks like a slimmer, more human Absolem out of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Arthur thinks. 

"I thought ye don't smoke." Jock appears seemingly out of nowhere.

"He makes an exception once a year, for Christmas." Arthur answers.

"Twice." Shaw corrects him. "Christmas and Easter."

"Why th' fuck would ye do that?!" Jock raises an eyebrow.

"It's an exercise of strong will. I do it to prove to myself that I don't depend on the cigarettes. Or on anything else." Shaw explains patiently.

"Why did I even ask..." Jock sighs. "Trade ye two mince pies for a cig?"


End file.
